Nico Iamaleava is expected to miss the remainder of the 2026 season after suffering a knee injury during UCLA's 17-15 victory over Oregon on Saturday. Coach Bob Chesney told ESPN the program has a "serious concern" over the injury to its starting quarterback, per ESPN's reporting. CBS Sports first reported that Iamaleava exited the game after sustaining what was initially described as an apparent leg injury; Yahoo Sports later specified the diagnosis as a knee injury.
The loss removes a key piece from a UCLA offense that has been among the nation's most dominant this season. The Bruins entered Saturday undefeated at 4-0 and 2-0 in Big Ten play, sitting second in the conference standings. That 17-15 win over Oregon — a road victory against a team that entered the contest 3-1 — extended UCLA's winning streak to five games. Iamaleava had appeared in all five of those wins without turning the ball over in the air, though he did lose one of his three fumbles on the season.
5-0, 3-0 conf2nd in Big TenStreak W5
The timing compounds the setback. UCLA still has nine games remaining on its schedule, starting with a home matchup against Wisconsin on Saturday. Oregon, which fell to 3-2 and 1-1 in conference play with the loss, faces Nebraska next week. The reporting does not specify whether UCLA has named a successor at the position or outlined a timeline for any further announcements about the quarterback situation.
Discussion